Apparatus for charging projectiles.



H. MAXIM.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING PROJEGTILES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.13, 1905.

Patented July 13, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WlTNESSES:

INVENTOR H. MAXIM.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING PROJEGTILES.

APPLICATION FILED PEB.13, 1905. 927,867, Patented July 13, 1909.

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Patented July 13, 1909.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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H. MAXIM.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING PROJEOTILES.

APPLIOATION FILED 11:13.13, 1905.

927,867. Patented July 13, 1909. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

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| I 3 D 53 I I I\ i l ATTORNEYS HUDSON MAXIM, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

APPARATUS FOR CHARGING PROJECTILES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 13, 1905.

Patented July 18, 1909.

Serial No. 245,547.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Henson MAXIM, of the borough of Brooklyn, city of New York, State of New York, have invented a. new and useful Improvement in Apparatus for Charging Projectiles, which invention is fully set forth in the following specification.

The present invention relates to a. novel apparatus for the charging of projectiles with a high explosive bursting charge; and has for its object the more rapid, efiicient and economical charging or loading of pro: jectiles than heretofore possible and furthermore to'secure a solid, compact, or nonporous charge, free from air bubbles or spaces.

In carrying out the invention, the high explosive in a fused or plastic or semi-fluid condition is charged into the projectile through a tube extending through a false base plug to the front end of the charge chamber and starts to fill the same from that end, expelling the air backwardly through a vent provided in said plug until the chamber is completely, compactly and solidly filled to the exclusion of'all air. The projectiles are placed in an upright position upon trucks, moved one at a time under a lilling nozzle, which nozzle is connected to a hydraulic or other power press provided with a water jacket through which hot Water is circulated and into which the plastic material is charged and maintained in a condition of plasticity. The nozzle which is capable of being raised or lowered at will is, when the shell is brought under it, lowered and connected as by a bayonet joint or other coupling, with the usual false base plug.

The charging nozzle consists of a simple device hereinafter described in detail, which permits of a tube being passed down through the false base plug nearly to the forward end of the shell chamber. Pressure is then exerted upon the paste in the press, causing it to flow through the pipe or tube and to be discharged into the shell with any desired rapidity and force. The shell is first filled up to the false base plug, surrounding the tube, thereby forcing all of the air out of the shell through a vent in the base plug provided for the purpose. been completely expelled and thcp'astc itself begins to appear through the pelcock provided for closing the air vent. the petcoclc is shut oh. This causes the pressure in the shell to mount higher and higher, which When the air has" causesthe tube to be forced back, compressing a spring at its rear end until the tube has been displaced by the explosive and the entire shell has become solidly filled with the explosive paste. Then the nozzle is detachcd and a new shell run into position, when the operation is repeated. The apparatus is so simple, the ease and rapidity with which the charging nozzle may be attached and detached-from the projectile, and the speed at which the paste may be charged into the projectile, render it obvious that but very little time will be required for filling projectiles in this manner.

' The explosive material which I prefer to employ is that which by the fusion of one of the ingredients in which a non-fusible ingredient is suspended, forms a paste, plastic 111 nature, of a doughy or pasty consistency, and capable of flowing freely under pressure, the fusible ingredient melting easily in the water bath.

The high explosive may be either melted or rendered plastic in a steam-jacketed kettle, or over a water bath, and then charged into the supply cylinder in that condition, or the material may be'charged into the supply cylinder in powdered form, and there be fused or rendered plastic by the heat of the hot water jacket with which the cylinder is surrounded.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a practical embodiment of the invention, in which Figure l is an elevation of the apparatus, the projectile to be lilled with the explosive paste being represented as borne by a wheeled truck running on a pair of track rails, the telescopic nozzle being in its elevated position. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partially in section showing the telescopic nozzle in position to commence the filling of the projectile. Figs. 8, 4 and 5 are enlarged sectional views of the nozzle portion of the filling tube showing it in its different positions, 1'. 0., the nozzle in its idle or upward position, (fl) in its position connected to the false base plug, and

finally in its operative filling position;

Fig. dis a plan of the apparatus illustrating the railway and a number of trucks bearing projectiles waiting to be filled.

The explosive mixture, preferably in plashe or pasty condition is charged into a vertical cylinder 20, provided with a power operated piston 21, to force the material through the charglng pipe and nozzle into the projectile under any desired pressure. The cylinder has a water jacket 24: surrounding it, through which a circulation of hot water is maintained by inlet and outlet pipes 25, 26, to keep the explosive in a proper condition to be forced outward through the pipe or tube to the shell being loaded.

The flexible feed pipe 27, is detachably connected to a valved nozzle 22, communicating with the supply cylinder at its bottom. This flexible feed pipe passes partially around a pendulous sheave'28, and up over an upper sheave 29, turning 111 fixed bearings and terminating in a steel tube 30, forming a guide for an outer telescopic tube, extension or nozzle 31 for insertion in and withdrawal from the chamber of the projectile. The pendulous sheave is arranged to give and take the slack of the flexible pipe between the upper sheave and the cylinder nozzle. The feed pipe 27 has a shut off valve 23, and just below it and above the guide tube 30 is provided with an upper head 32, and the upper end of the nozzle also has a, head 33, and between the two heads and around the tube 30 is interposed a coiled spring 34L for extending the telescopic nozzle downward. Below the head of the nozzle and forming a stop therefor, is another head 35, having a bayonet or screw joint for coupling to the false base plug 40. The upper head 32 and the head 35 are connected rigidly together by a sleeve 36 incaslng the coiled spring (and the head of the telescopic nozzle) and provided with a spring latch 10 for engaging a recess 11 in the head of the nozzle for holding it in its withdrawn position on the guide tube 30 against the force of the coiled spring. The false base plug 40 has a valved vent 12, for the escape and regulation of the escape of air from the charge of the projectile.

When not doing duty, the charging tube and nozzle hang suspended from the upper sheave as in Fig. l. with its lower end at a suflicient height to permit the movement of a. projectile into place directly beneath 'it. When a projectile is brought into position :0 be charged, the attendant pulls the nozzle lownwardly, thereby drawing the flexible ;ube over the upper sheave and rocking the :wendulous sheave outwardly, as in Fig 2 to :ause it to give out length of pipe enough to LllOW the end' of the nozzle to be inserted in ;he base plu and the bayonet joint head 0 be couple thereto, as shown in Fig. 3. Phe spring latch 10 is then pulled outvardly, freeing the telescopic nozzle tube vhich, under the force of the coiled spring s projected to a point near the bottom or Forward end of the charge chamber of the )rojectile, as in Figs. 2 and 3. The valve :3 is then opened and the vent 12 being open, vhereupon the material under pressure is orced rapidly through the pipe and nozzle the head of the nozzle and hold it in its' elevated or withdrawn position compressing the spring, as shown in Fig. 4;. The :valve 23 is then closed and the bayonet joint uncoupled, whereupon the tube and nozzle automaticall return to their up position shown in F lgs. 3 and l, by the weight of,

the pendulous sheave which acts to take up the slack of the flexible pipe in moving the nozzle end upwardly.

It is obvious that the pressure in the charge cylinder may be controlled by the attendant so that he may stop and start the piston as needed. This may be done either with or without the valve 23. The valve at the cylinder nozzle is closed when uncoupling the flexible pipe from the supply cylinder.

By loading the charge chamber of the pro- J jectile from its front end and filling the same from that end, the incoming material takes the place of the air as fast as it is displaced thereby and escapes through the vent, and in this manner not only are all air spaces in -the material avoided, but by causing the ma-,

terial to flow rearwardly along the walls of the shell chamber, they are more effectually wetted thereby and a better and closer con-,

tact of this material with the walls is secured.

The process disclosed in this application is not herein claimed, the same forming the subject-matter of application Serial N 0. 370,271, filed April 25, 1907, which is a division of the present application.

What is claimed is 1. In an apparatus for filling projectiles, the combination of a base plug and a filling tube provided with an extensible nozzle adapted to enter the projectile chamber through said plug.

2. In an apparatus for filling projectiles, the combination of a base plug, a filling tube provided with an extensible nozzle, and means engaging said tube and plug for retaining said tube in filling position.

3. In an apparatus for filling rojectiles, the combination of a base plug, a lling tube provided with a spring-pressed extensible nozzle, and means engaging said tube and plug for retaining said tube in filling position.

4. In apparatus for filling projectiles, the combination of an explosive supply chamher, and a delivery conduit connected therewith having an extensible filling nozzle for entering the projectile cavity, said nozzle being movable with respect to said conduit under pressure of the filling material.

5. In apparatus for filling projectiles, the combination of a base plug, a filling tube having a spring-pressed telescopingnozzle, means for retaining said tube in filling position in said plug, and catch means for holding said nozzle in retracted position.

6. In a filling apparatus for projectiles, the combination of an explosive supply chamber, a delivery conduit connected therewith and provided with an extensible nozzle for insertion into the projectile cavity, and means adapted to engage the projectile for slidably holding said nozzle in filling position.

7 The combination of a feed pipe for supplying an explosive to a projectile, a springpressed extensible filling nozzle connected to the end of said pipe, and means for attachment of the pipe'to the projectile to be filled.

8. The combination of a flexible pipe for supplying a material under pressure, a fillmg nozzle connected to the end of said pipe and a pendulous tension device for the pipe.

9. The combination of a feed pipe for supplying a material under pressure, a longitudinally yielding filling nozzle carried thereby and a latch for holding the nozzle in its contracted position.

10. The combination of a feed pipe for supplying a material under pressure, an ex tensible fillin nozzle connected thereto, and a latch restraining its extensibility.

11. The combination of a feed pipe for supplying material under pressure, an extensible filling nozzle connected thereto, a closure, and means for locking said pipe to the same, said closure having an opening for receiving said nozzle and provided with a valve-controlled vent.

12. The combination of a feed pipe for supplying a material under pressure, a telescoplc tubular extension thereto, a spring tending to extend the tubular extension and a latch for holding the extension in its telescopic position.

13. The combination of a supply chamber, a flexible pipe connected to and leading from said chamber, a spring-pressed telescopic filling nozzle connected to said pipe, and means for supporting the flexible pipe with its nozzle in a suspended vertical position.

14. The combination of a supply chamber, a flexible pipe connected to and leading from said chamber, a spring-pressed telescopic filling nozzle connected to said pipe, means for supporting the flexible pipe with its nozzle in a suspended vertical position and a give and take device for the slack of' the pipe.

15. In apparatus for filling projectiles, the combination of an explosive supply chamber and means for heating the same, a valve controlled fiexible feed. pipe connected with said chamber and provided with a telescoping nozzle adapted to enter the projectile cavity and displaceable therefrom by entry of the filling material against pressure and a pulley for suspending said pipe and its nozzle in filling position, and tension means for tak-' ing up slack in said pipe.

In testimony whereof I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HUDSON- MAXIM.

Witnesses O. A. L. MASSIE, R. L. Sco'rT. 

